Rose: 'I'll die before Slash reunion'

Axl Rose has ruled out any potential Guns N' Roses reunion with former guitarist Slash.

In his first substantial press interview in nine years, Rose claimed that either he or Slash would die before a reformation could happen.

"I read a desperate fan's message about, what if one of us were to die and looking back I had the possibility of a reunion now, blah blah blah," the frontman told Billboard. "And my thoughts are, 'Yeah, and while you're at the show your baby accidentally kicks a candle and burns your house down, killing himself and the rest of your family.

"Give me a f**king break. What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is. Those decisions were made a long time ago and reiterated year after year by one man. There are acts that, once committed between individuals, they are what they are."

Slash, who appeared on Gun N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion albums, left the group in 1996.

Rose admitted that he would consider working again with guitarist Izzy Stradlin and bassist Duff McKagan, but claimed he was "not so comfortable" with the idea of working with "more than of the alumni".